Mainoo’s first start came during Casemiro’s spell out with a hamstring

issue in November. And even when fit, Ten Hag’s other midfield
options lack the same composure and ability to receive under pressure
in the build-up.
Garnacho’s minutes have come more as a result of the form of Antony,
who has largely stayed fit but has been unable to dislodge the teenager
on merit, but his consistent availability has still helped. He, Fernandes
and Dalot are the only outfield players not to miss a game through
injury.
In fact, Garnacho is one of only three teenagers to play more than
2,500 outfield minutes across Europe’s five major leagues,
alongside Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera and Lille’s Leny Yoro.
Yet at their age, Garnacho, Mainoo and Hojlund’s abilities also need to
be protected and preserved, and United’s reliance on them this season
has not gone unnoticed among staff at Carrington.
Jason Wilcox, INEOS’s newly-appointed technical director, has
pointed to the number of minutes that the younger members of the
squad have played this season during internal conversations. Ten Hag
is already aware and has sought to ease the burden on the trio when
possible.
That has also proved difficult at times, however, given the hope and
optimism they have come to represent.
Take the 2-1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest in December for
example. Over a busy Christmas period, Mainoo had made his first set
of consecutive senior starts against Liverpool, West Ham and Aston
Villa, playing at least 80 minutes each time.
Mainoo started again at the City Ground, although United’s coaching
staff were wary of the physical demands on an inexperienced 18-year-
old playing Premier League football that regularly at that intensity.
Mainoo was felt to be struggling a little during the first half,
understandably so given the intensity of the schedule, and with the
score still at 0-0 at the break, Ten Hag decided to replace him
with Scott McTominay. United went on to lose and much of the post-
match debate centred on the decision to replace Mainoo.
Substitutions of Hojlund have been poorly received by the Old
Trafford crowd on other occasions, while a run of replacing Garnacho
was questioned during United’s slump following the March
international break.
Even so, minutes of players this age have to be managed. And over the
course of the whole season, it is no coincidence that Garnacho,
Hojlund and Mainoo are the three to have been substituted the most
by Ten Hag.
Garnacho has been brought off 24 times, Hojlund 23 times, while no
player has ended a higher proportion of their appearances sitting
among the substitutes than Mainoo. In that way, Ten Hag has been
able to ease the burden on their young shoulders.
United's most substituted players